Anchor element for armchair tray



Oct. 31, 1961 A. E. BRANDON ANCHOR ELEMENT FOR ARMCHAIR TRAY Filed June17, 1958 INVENTORL United States Patent 3,006,687 ANCHOR ELEMENT FORARMCHAIR TRAY Alfred E. Brandon, Bronx, N,Y. Filed June 17, 1958, Ser.No. 742,658 1 Claim. (Cl. 297-153) This invention relates to fastenersfor trays, or other elements, to frame structures of chairs; and theobjects of this invention are:

(1) To make a novel construction of a detachable connection between atray or the like and an armrest or other portion of a chair or the likestructure, capable of providing an easy and convenient means by which tosecure and to detach the members, tray and chair.

(2) To provide a new and novel clamping element with means forengagement with said tray and armrests whereby trays are securelyfastened to armrests.

(3) To provide a novel and simple means by which trays or other usefulelements can be secured, or removed, from the armrests of chairs withless time and effort.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill be apparent, such as that the operation of this novel connectionbetween the armrests and the tray will permit other elements, such astoys or playthings for children and, bookholders or like articles foruse by adults to be similarly detachably secured to the chair when thetray is not being used. It will also be apparent that in place of thetray a cross bar to prevent the child from falling from the chair couldbe similarly mounted on the chair arms and playthings could be mountedon the cross bar. Still further uses of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description when considered with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a chair structure and a trayelement engaging the arm rests of the chair.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 1, butwith the tray positioned a distance above the armrests to show the partsembodied in the invention, as well as to show the position of the traywhen detachably engaged from the armrests.

FIG. 3 is a plain view of FIG. 1, but with portion of the tray removed.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 44 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of the armrest and tray alongthe line 55 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the armrest as in FIG. 5; apart, embodied in the invention, is shown in elevation with portionbroken oif.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the tray removed from the armrest andshowing parts of the invention in side elevational view and theirposition when not in engagement with the armrest.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of one of the parts of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a. modified form of the part shown in FIG. 8.

Referring more specially to the drawing, FIGS. 1 to 8 show one form ofthe invention and wherein the numeral 1 indicates leg supports of astructure such as a chair or the like; 2 the seat; 3 cross bars to bracethe structure; 4 armrests secured to said leg supports; a backrest 5connected to said structure, and a removable tray 6 in engagement withone or both of the armrests.

As shown, the armrests 4 have the usual front and rear connections ofthe frame structure. The seat 2 is positioned in a usual position inrespect to the armrests and to the backrest 5'.

However, this structure shows that the armrests 4 are provided with oneor more openings, or apertures 7, which extend longitudinally therealongand are adapted to receive a sleeve 8 therethru.

This sleeve 8 extends to the upper (top) side of the armrest and isconveniently formed with flange portion 8a and disposed flush with saidupper side of the armrests. The other (lower) end portion 8b can beformed into a flange portion which is positioned flush with theunderside of the armrests, as shown in FIG. 5, or it can be extendedtherebelow as shown in FIG. 6, to secure firmly, the sleeve 8 to thearmrests 4.

'A flexible element 9 is adapted to' engage sleeve 8. This flexibleelement 9 is flat and longitudinal, of a convenient length and normallyslightly curved along the line of operation in the interior walls of thesleeve 8. And it is, at one end, provided with angular flange portions9a along its longitudinal sides and a slightly outward curve portion 9bupward, as indicated in FIG. 8. Said portions 9a are provided withapertures 90, which are of a size to engage nails or screws10, adaptedto secure the element 9 in a chamber 11, provided underneath of the trayor the cross bar.

It will be noted that the nails or screws 10, so disposed, constitute apivot for operation of the element 9.

This element 9 is further provided with a projection 9d, punched outwardat e to detachably engage the sleeve in the armrests, as shown in FIG.4.

The tray 6 may be formed to house the element 9, completely,therewithin, as shown in FIG. 7. There the element 9 is shown in aposition which it assumes, when the tray 6 is removed from the framestructure.

As a safety feature, the apertures 7 are made narrow enough to prevententry of an infants fingers and are spaced, as shown, so that the traycan be adjusted for use with children or infants of different sizes. Inaddition the apertures create an attractive design on the upper side ofthe armrests.

It will be noted that FIG. 9 shows the element 9 in a modified form.This form is mostly for general adaptation for adults in the home,factory and elsewhere. The armrest, for simplified form, not shown, isprovided with spaced round openings, replacing the longitudinal shapeshown in FIG. 4. These round openings (apertures) are adapted to receivetubular or round sleeves, replacing the angular shape 8. Thus, thearmrest 4, so formed, is

adapted to receive and detachably engage the round dowel-shaped element12. This round dowel-shaped element 12 is so formed at 12a to mount apair of spaced flexible elements 13.

13a are projections adapted to come in contact with the underedge of theround sleeve in the armrest. The lower portion of 12a is adapted toengage the round opening of sleeve 8, and to constitute a sturdy anchorportion when the parts of the invention are fully together.

14 represents the pivot means to swing the element 12 into the trayelements underside, when not in engagement with the armrest.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described an article in whichthe several features of this invention are embodied, and which articlein its action attains the various objects of the invention and is wellsuited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

In a chair having armrests, a plurality of apertures in each of thearmrests, a tray adapted to rest on and be detachably secured to saidarmrests, said tray including 7 strips also having an angular portionadjacent said pivot ally mounted end, said angular portions of saidstrips engaging the underside of the tray when the elongated strips arepivoted to a position substantially perpendicular to saidunderside to beinserted in said apertures, each said lateral projection engaging theunderside periphery of one of the apertures in the armrests when saidstrips are inserted thru a corresponding pair of said apertures wherebythe tray is detachably secured to said armrests, the free ends of saidspring strips forming handle means for springing the lateral projectionsout of engagement Gil of the periphery of said apertures when saidangular portions are engaging the underside of the tray to therebydetach the tray from the armrests.

References Cited in the, file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS130,201 Earl Aug. 6, 1872 146,068 Weis Dec. 30, 1873 406,173 Lipe July2, 1889 1,194,309 Miller Aug. 8, 1916 1,361,505 Snideman Dec. 7, 19201,760,365 King May 27, 1930 2,019,005 Erickson Oct. 29, 1935 2,694,443Cohen Nov. 16, 1954 2,706,518 Fleischer Apr.:'19,' 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS491,264

Canada Mar. 17, 1953

